What kind of shower is best in these circumstances?...?

Question

I want to get a shower fitted but am confused about the different types & have been given loads of different advice about pumps & electric consumption..

I've got an immersion heater with cold water tank above it, which is next to my bath (the cold water tank is about 4ft off the ground & the immersion heater is on the ground & about 3ft tall).

I also need to know roughly how much it's cost - I don't want to spend a lot as my home's rented & I also need to make as few structural changes as possible.

Answer 1

A power shower is best electric showers use too much electric and a power shower only needs a 5 amp supply , and you will get 10 times the flow  

Answer 2

If you can get a contractor to give you a free quote they can give you their best idea of what to do. Don't feel bad if you think you aren't going to use them after you see their quote and how much work it's going to be you may change your mind.

Answer 3

Golden shower! -Laughs- No, just kidding. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm not sure you should go to Lowes or Home Depot and ask them about it!

Answer 4

get an electric shower that takes a cold water feed, dont try to run a shower off any heating system, they are usually rubbish

Answer 5

Electric shower which is fed by the cold water main is better for you.

Answer 6

Electric showers are total c**p (the pressure and flow rate are dreadful) and cost an absolute fortune to run (about 20p per shower). Don't get one.

It sounds to me like you don't have enough fall to get a decent shower out of a gravity-fed system either, however.

I would strongly recommend you install a water pump between the hot tank and the shower. This will give you excellent flow and pressure, and a superb shower (you could even fit a big wide luxurious rain head if you wanted). A 2 bar pump would be about right, but get one which is made of brass rather than plastic (it'll last a lot longer).

However, do check with an installer to make sure you have a large enough hot tank for this; if it's too small, the pump will empty it in minutes and you'll run out of hot water very quickly.

The next best option would be to have the cold tank raised up as high as possible. This would increase the water pressure to the shower by increasing the fall. It still won't be anything like as good as the pumped system, but it will be a lot better (and massively more economical) than an electric shower.

Answer 7

A power shower with a built in pump is the best solution.  It should be cheaper then an electric shower and will give a far better shower